HardLore Podcast — FYA Fest 2026 Recap

Hosts: Colin Young & Bo Lueders
Guest: Bob Wilson (FYA Fest Organizer, Rebirth Records)
Release Date: January 22, 2026

Episode Overview

The HardLore crew sits down with FYA Fest founder Bob Wilson for a detailed, passionate 2.5-hour breakdown of FYA Fest 2026, one of the premier annual hardcore festivals. They discuss the standout sets, wild crowd moments, epic returns, inside stories about band selection, and broader scene insights—all delivered with friendship, humor, deep scene knowledge, and lots of memorable quotes.

Main Themes

• State of Hardcore (2026): The evolving sound, youth excitement, generational shifts, and the interplay of tradition vs. innovation.
• FYA as a Showcase: How Bob curates the fest to honor both foundational bands and new blood, creating a “state of the union” for the scene.
• Wild Show Moments: Unique crowd antics, bizarre behavior, and memorable incidents during the fest.
• Booking Philosophy: Bob’s commitment to giving every band a meaningful slot, calculated risks on reunions and genre outliers, supporting geographic diversity.
• Inside Baseball: Deep-dive on setlists, technical musicianship, scene lore, and behind-the-scenes festival logistics.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Setting the Stage

• FYA Fest is positioned as a touchstone for the hardcore year, curating both rising talent and legendary acts.
• Bob describes booking as both a reward for hardworking bands and an opportunity to introduce new favorites to a wide audience.

  "I can actually just use the fest to kind of push things that I think are sick... reward bands that are busting their asses." – Bob [03:14]

Day One Band Highlights

Exit Life (11:30 AM) [04:48]

• Florida band featuring members of No Truth; opened with unbridled energy for an early slot.
• “The singer had a Ringworm hoodie that he took off to reveal a Ringworm shirt... they closed with Bertha’s Pain. You're not going to get better than that." — Bob [05:22]
• Colin notes the blend: "Exit Life demo sounds like the Promise, Ringworm." [06:41]

Wit's End [07:30]

• UK-based, with American connection (Connor from DC).
• Praised for rapid demo output and classic NYHC-inspired sound: "Breakdown, Killing Time — what more do you want?" — Colin [07:51]
• “Set was insane for a band that’s probably played like six shows ever, none in America.” — Bob [08:01]

Start Today [09:05]

• Young California band, lauded for historical awareness and passion.
• "They’re the future of everything going on right now.” — Bob [09:35]
• Notable moment: breaking curfew to play a Ten Yard Fight cover, huge crowd response [10:19].

Everybody Takes One [11:13]

• Minnesota straight-edge band, rare impact from the state.
• Bob found them through trusted friends, praised their spirit.

Bullshit [12:20]

• Gothenburg, Sweden’s hardcore pride.
• Overcomes language/barrier and "hardcore name awkwardness” with sheer quality.
• “Music is so good it supersedes all that to me.” — Bob [12:37]

Mongrel [19:46]

• "One of the hardest bands on earth."
• Praised for sheer moshability—“It’s like Malevolent Creation, but for hardcore kids to beat the shit out of each other.” — Bob [20:15]

Seed of Pain [21:18]

• Florida/Cleveland-sounding, huge local support: “Many people said Seed of Pain, number one set.” — Colin [21:56]

No Idols [23:30]

• Baltimore/New York, members of Truth Cult, Angel Dust, Bib.
• “Band to watch in 2026.” — Colin [23:51]
• Robin the drummer called out for exceptional playing.

Forced Order [25:37]

• Comeback set, new EP, diverse setlist with Uniform Choice covers.
• “There’s an entire generation of showgoers who missed out on Kyle and Mike’s songwriting… now, hopefully, they’re getting the love they deserve.” — Colin [25:37]

Whispers & Magnitude [28:23 & 30:26]

• Whispers: Thai HC, strong live presence after years of trying to bring them over.
• Magnitude: “Straight edge is back in a big way.” — Bo [30:32]
• Bob on Magnitude: “They’re the most sincere band to me. Everything they say and do is genuine.” [31:53]

Scarab [32:18]

• “Crown jewel of the Rebirth Records roster.” [32:18]
• Praised for lyrics, aggression, and frontman power.

Excessive Force [34:01]

• Legendary Orange County straight edge, first set in decades.
• Notable for risk—"I don’t want to bring a band back after 30 years and have it be like crickets." — Bob [34:38]

Big Boy, Mindforce [37:47, 39:48]

• Big Boy: Compared to Cold World, "could headline anywhere."
• Mindforce: “One of the greatest live bands of the last 25 years. Easily.” — Colin [39:48]

Crowd Behavior & Fest Culture [14:20]

• Bucky’s mascot pit crew, door surfing, stage-diving reluctance: “It was bizarre to watch, but they were part of the pit.”
• Wildest encounter: woman acting erratically during Kickback/Marauder block, security ejection.

  “It was like Batman villains all day… the Scarecrow was there before Kickback.” — Beau [18:14]

• Incidents: Bob’s own onstage fall captured by cameras, to much amusement [18:43].

Day One Headliner Block

Marauder — Kickback — Hatebreed [51:20+]

• Booking process took years and “catnip for these motherfuckers,” as Colin puts it.
• Marauder gets their due with a prime slot and exceptional musicianship.
• Kickback's atmosphere described as “horrifying, evil... lights dimmed, pit from stage to the photo booth.” — Colin [54:12-56:34]
• Hatebreed closes Day 1: Jasta stage dives, only “Rise/Brutality” classics set, all-time reaction.

  “I've never seen Jasta stage dive… and he did it twice. He got busted open. He literally looked like Terry Funk up there.” — Bob [59:00]

Day Two Highlights

Sin Against Sin (Early MVPs) [64:13]

• “Favorite new band making music, period. And pit MVPs throughout the weekend.” — Colin [64:40]
• Bob uses the opener slot to spotlight deserving new blood, not as a throwaway.

Unmoved [69:17]

• Vancouver. Noted for Zilbel/Zil Bell songwriting, maximum violence.
• “Metalcore with the goal of violence, not just technicality.” [69:42]

I Promise the World [73:25]

• Emo/screamo band gets massive, youthful reaction, mixing genres and generations.
• “This band could not exist seven years ago… It’s working, it’s crazy.” — Colin [73:25]

Nasty [77:00]

• Germany’s kings of beatdown; American debut.

Final Resting Place [91:21]

• “Final boss of that whole scene, the big pants with Nikes, death metal shirts, you watch beheading videos… league of their own.” — Bob [91:21]

Gridiron + Missing Link [92:55+]

• “Gridlink” double bill, synonymous with new era mosh and lyricism.

Turmoil [96:52]

• First set since 2014, bridging Philly history.
• “I just don’t want them to waste opportunities playing ‘beer fest’… it’s just: people want to see you, they want to mosh you, and they understand that.” — Bob [97:52]

Ended [100:00]

• Known for gorgeous singing, gorgeous cover of Max Pen, modern staple.

Fleshwater [101:41]

• Called “kings and queen of music.” Drew out the “freaks” in the best sense.
• “It's cool seeing them go from an arena with Deftones to a hardcore fest—that’s why I asked them.” — Bob [103:38]

Gorilla Biscuits [103:56]

• First FYA appearance ever, immediately beloved across generations.
• Included horn players for the viral “horn section moment.”
• Ephemeral but eternal: "Put out one LP in 1989 and exist forever." — Colin [104:21]

Drain (Closer) [108:42]

• New headline status after years of grind.
• “Literally one of the only bands I can think of to [close FYA] because they can fucking hold it down any show, any place, anytime.” — Bob [108:42]
• Notable incident: surfing on a bathroom door, breaking venue infrastructure, full crowd madness [110:00].

Notable Quotes & Moments

• "Every year, I try to at least do a few Florida bands, because it's in Florida... The whole point was to show people, when I lived in Florida, like, cool stuff they might not have known." — Bob [05:22]

• On giving every band the right slot:
  "I never want a band to look at [opening] as, like, a throwaway spot. I want every band that plays to get the best set possible, to feel good about it." — Bob [65:44]

• "Bands that care about hardcore don't mess up... It only works if the people behind the instruments can back it up." — Colin [24:50]

• "To me, like Kickback had a pit from the stage to the photo booth... it was exactly how it should be." — Bob [56:39]

• “The BKE (Bill Kaelin Experience)... Whenever Bill is ready to drop the hardcore thing and start playing blues rock, me, Derek and Sam will drop everything..." — Colin [94:02]

• "2026 has begun now that FYA is over and done with. Let’s see what happens this year." — Colin [117:14]

Important Timestamps

• Festival Philosophy & Curation: [02:43], [03:24], [65:44]
• Exit Life & Early Bands: [04:48]–[10:46]
• Bullshit, Swedish HC, International Bands: [12:20]–[13:55]
• Stage Diving, Crowd Culture: [14:20]–[18:11]
• Band Highlights ("Rock Block"): [25:37]–[41:04]
• Wildest Sets (Kickback/Marauder/Hatebreed): [51:20]–[61:44]
• Sin Against Sin, Sunday Opener: [64:40]
• Genre Outliers/Younger Audiences: [73:25]
• Final Resting Place/Scene Influencers: [91:21]
• Headliners (GB/Drain): [103:56]–[110:55]
• Closing Reflections / Hardcore State of the Union: [112:06]–[117:14]

Flow & Tone

• Engaged, humorous, inside-joke-filled.
• Deep affection for both the music and its community, with genuine awe at the festival's scale and energy.
• Bob’s humility, candor, and wit ground the conversation as Colin and Bo alternate from elder sage to enthusiastic fanboys.
• Dozens of direct shoutouts to musicians, up-and-comers, superfans, and regional scenes.

Playlist & Further Exploration

• Bob agreed to assemble a playlist: “A song from every band throughout the weekend… maybe you don’t know where to start—Bob’s going to further procure hardcore music for the masses.” — Beau [112:39]
• Playlist link available in episode notes.

Where to Start

• Fast-track “must-listen” segments:
  • Marauder/Kickback/Hatebreed block (The New Holy Trinity): [51:20]–[61:44]
  • Sin Against Sin’s effect on early crowds: [64:40]
  • Crowd insanity (doors, costumes): [110:00]
  • Generational pass-off: Gorilla Biscuits to Drain: [103:56]–[110:55]

Closing Thoughts

FYA Fest 2026 is presented as a microcosm of the current state of hardcore, bridging eras, styles, and personalities. The episode is both a love letter to the scene’s past and a roadmap for its ever-evolving future—full of wild pits, unexpected reunions, and the dogged edge of DIY ethics made large.

“One of the best fests in the world... You did it again. Fantastic work.” – Colin [112:16]

Recommended if you love: Scene lore, band-by-band breakdowns, festival logistics, inside jokes, and the thrill of discovering your new favorite band while paying homage to the legends.

Next Steps

• Listen to the episode for unmatched anecdotes and to catch the infectious passion of the hosts and guest.
• Check out the painstakingly curated playlist linked in the episode description.
• Keep your eyes on Rebirth Records for upcoming releases spotlighted by Bob.
• Mark your calendar for next year’s FYA Fest—and brush up on your stage-diving etiquette!